Tetrafluoroethylene (TFE) can be produced by pyrolysis of CF.sub.2 HCl(F-22) at about 800.degree. C. HCl splits off and two of the remaining CF.sub.2 radicals combine to form CH.sub.2 .dbd.CH.sub.2. However F-22 is an ozone destroying chemical and other procedures for obtaining TFE are desirable.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,009,966 fluoroform is converted to TFE and perfluoropropene using high temperatures, short dwell times and low pressures. However the pyrolysis temperatures are limited by the heat tolerance of the reaction vessel, which in the Examples is platinum lined nickel or simply nickel. Indeed, the patent examples use no higher temperatures than 1120.degree. C. (Ex. 60) even though the patent states that temperatures up to 1500.degree. C. may be used. Such a high temperature may be unrealistic since the Examples do not begin to approach that. Furthermore, the patent states at column 2, lines 1-3 that it is difficult to produce the desired products because of the extremely short contact times that must be used.